Big Ten Baseball Weekly Review – Week 14

Big Ten

Overall

Team

Record

Pct.

Record

Pct.

Indiana

17-7

.708

40-13

.755

Ohio State

15-9

.625

34-21

.618

Nebraska

15-9

.625

25-28

.472

Minnesota

13-8

.619

30-20

.600

Illinois

14-10

.583

33-16

.673

Michigan

14-10

.583

29-25

.537

Michigan State

12-9

.571

33-17

.660

Iowa

10-14

.417

22-27

.449

Northwestern

9-15

.375

22-26

.458

Purdue

6-18

.250

17-34

.333

Penn State

4-20

.167

14-36

.280

Illinois

2-1

Illinois 6, Minnesota 2

Illinois 4, Minnesota 3

Minnesota 2, Illinois 0

Illinois worked their way into the Big Ten tournament winning their series against Minnesota, whom they will face again in the first round of the tournament.

Indiana

2-2

Kentucky 5, Indiana 3

Ohio State 2, Indiana 1

Indiana 7, Ohio State 2 (10 innings)

Indiana 8, Ohio State 1

It's fitting that Indiana won the regular season title as they are the best team in the conference. Their pitching is good and deep, and their hitting is exceptional.

Pivotal point in this series - Ohio State was leading game two 2-0 into the ninth inning when the Hoosiers said the hell with that, and score two runs to force extra innings.

In the 10th inning, Indiana loads the bases and then Nick Ramos stepped up and hit a grand slam to punctuate the win.

Iowa

3-0

Iowa 2, Purdue 1 (11 innings)

Iowa 9, Purdue 5 (10 innings)

Iowa 5, Purdue 4

Sweeping Purdue on the last series of the season despite any chance of making the Big Ten tournament is at least a positive for the Hawkeyes.

Michigan

2-2

Seton Hall 5, Michigan 3

Michigan 7, Nebraska 5

Nebraska 9, Michigan 6

Michigan 19, Nebraska 9

Michigan made the Big Ten tourney by wining their series against Nebraska. You have to give them credit for going on the road and winning against a team that was in position to win the conference title.

Their reward for crushing Nebraska in embarrassing fashion is to face them again in the first round of the tourney.

Michigan State

4-1

Michigan State 5, Central Michigan 4

Michigan State 10, Central Michigan 0

Michigan State 16, Penn State 1

Penn State 9, Michigan State 0

Michigan State 2, Penn State 1

The Spartans did well to win their series at Penn State, but will miss the Big Ten tourney for the first time since 2010.

Minnesota

1-2

Illinois 6, Minnesota 2

Illinois 4, Minnesota 3

Minnesota 2, Illinois 0

Minnesota = fail. You have a chance to do great things and you lose at home.

Minnesota will face Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. The Gophers finished the regular season second in the conference in team pitching with a 2.86 ERA, but second to last in team batting at .258. Fielding is average - fifth, with a .969 fielding percentage.

Nebraska

2-2

Nebraska 12, Creighton 9

Michigan 7, Nebraska 5

Nebraska 9, Michigan 6

Michigan 19, Nebraska 9

Starter Christian DeLeon was out for this series and HOLY COW did it show.

Nebraska could have taken care of business in the first game of the series, but let Michigan take it after the Huskers had a 5-3 lead going into the seventh when normally decent Dylan Vogt relieved Kyle Kubat and proceeded to give up 5H, 4R in 2 IP.

Nebraska will get Christian DeLeon back for the tournament, but their problem remains... well, remember that quote above: Nebraska bullpen = gas can and matches.

Northwestern

0-3

Wichita State 8, Northwestern 2

Wichita State 5, Northwestern 0

Wichita State 4, Northwestern 3 (10 innings)

No shock here as the Wildcats head to Wichita and get swept.

Ohio State

1-3

Louisville 6, Ohio State 3

Ohio State 2, Indiana 1

Indiana 7, Ohio State 2 (10 innings)

Indiana 8, Ohio State 1

Ohio State darned near got themselves a Big Ten title, but they gave up that 10 inning game on Friday.

One more thing about that game - closer Trace Dempsey came in to finish that game, and the two runs he gave up that allowed Indiana to tie it were the first earned runs he'd given up in 30 innings pitched, going all the way back to the middle of February. How's that for drama!

The Buckeyes finished the season 8th in team batting at .262, 3rd in team pitching with a 3.21 ERA, and second in fielding with a .976 percentage.

Penn State

2-2

Penn State 7, Villanova 4

Michigan State 16, Penn State 1

Penn State 9, Michigan State 0

Michigan State 2, Penn State 1

What a horrid season for Penn State. They had a decent season last year, but I don't understand why a team with such a nice ballpark can't recruit or do better than this.

Purdue

0-4

Eastern Michigan 20, Purdue 2

Iowa 2, Purdue 1 (11 innings)

Iowa 9, Purdue 5 (10 innings)

Iowa 5, Purdue 4

Take what I said about Penn State and put it here, although Purdue just opened a new ballpark.

Getting swept by Iowa - somewhat of a clear sign that the Boilers really just wanted this season to be over.